


Taste

by gilesbabe



Series: In A Lifetime [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:44:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2445893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilesbabe/pseuds/gilesbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel feels Dean’s pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taste

Castiel wished that he was in his human form. His true form couldn’t heave an exasperated sigh, or roll its eyes. He valued his allies, he truly did, but right now he wanted to knock some sense into a few of them, especially Balthazar. He was being deliberately obstructive. He seemed to instinctively know which buttons to push to send the meeting into chaos.

“We don’t have time for this,” he began, but was then overwhelmed with a wave of pain. He crumbled, gasping. Balthazar rushed over.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Dean.”

Balthazar moved back to his place. “Did your little human stub his toe? Really, Castiel, no wonder he seems to think he can order you around when you cater to his every injury.”

Castiel started to reply, when he was hit with another wave of pain, and he felt Dean die. “NO!” he moaned, and was gone.

Balthazar glanced at the others. “Looks like the meeting has been adjourned.” Between one blink and the next, the room was empty.

 

It was true that the sigils on Dean’s ribs hid him from any angelic eyes, but the extreme pain he was experiencing had traveled through their bond and allowed Castiel to fly directly to him. Castile materialized, taking in the destruction in a single glance. The air was full of smoke and the sounds of screams. Stronger still, was the smell of blood. So strong in fact, that when he drew a breath in though his vessel’s mouth, the copper taste of blood was there as well.

Dean’s body was at his feet, a young woman with dark hair on her knees next to him. A Reaper. Castiel knelt, placed his hand on Dean’s chest, and infused Dean with a touch of his grace to restart his heart, but before he could anything else, Castiel felt himself being ripped away.

There was a brief moment of disorientation, not unlike being banished. When Castiel blinked he found himself standing in the middle of an empty warehouse, in the center of an elaborate symbol that was etched into the concrete. He tried to move, but found that he could only take a few steps in any direction before running into an invisible barrier.

“Welcome to your new home, Castiel.”

He spun around. “Raphael.” It was somewhat disconcerting to see the cold, merciless, anger of the other archangel in the eyes of such a beautiful woman. “What do you mean?”

Raphael laughed. “It seemed clear enough to me. I wanted to trap you in a ring of holy oil, as you did me, but the oil doesn’t burn forever, and there are other ways of getting out.” She waved at herself. “Case in point. This however,” she pointed to the design in the floor, “this is permanent. I took great care in creating this. The lines are burned into the floor, not made of chalk or salt that can be scattered or erased. The building itself is covered in sigils that make it invisible to all eyes, human or angelic.”

She paced at the edge of the design. “There are also sigils that prevent you from connecting to the Host. You are cut off and isolated.” Raphael gave an evil grin. “With one small exception: the Winchesters. If they call for you, you will be able to hear them. Although I don’t think that Dean will be calling out to you, not in his condition.” He turned and started towards a doorway, but stopped after a few steps.

“I might come back for you, after I have ended your little rebellion. Give you a chance to repent and come home.” Raphael shrugged. “Or not. I’m not sure yet. In the meantime, you might as well get comfortable; you are going to be here a long time.” She started to turn again.

“Raphael, I will find a way out of here and when I do, there is nowhere in our Father’s universe that you can go that I will not be able to find you. By involving Dean Winchester in this you have gone too far. I will give you no more chances. The next time we meet, I will kill you.”

Raphael laughed. “Big talk for someone in your position, and I will do anything I wish with Dean Winchester. He is nothing to me; all humans are nothing to me.”

Castiel growled. “They are our Father’s creations and as such should be precious to us. As for Dean, touch him, or in any way cause him injury again, and I will not merely kill you, I will fucking destroy you.” 

Raphael flinched away from the look in Castiel’s eyes, turned and hurried out of the building.

Castiel lost track of time as he threw himself at the barrier. He stopped when Sam’s voice sounded in the room, as clear as if he was standing there. Sam was calling for him, begging him to come and help Dean. Sam yelled and screamed for hours, the sound echoing in the empty building. 

Castiel knelt in the center of the design, anguished and in despair. Dean’s blood stained the edge of his coat and as he stared at it he was startled to see small drops of water falling on the stain.

Castiel looked up, expecting to see a sprinkler that was dripping but saw nothing. Then he realized that his face was wet, that the liquid was coming from him, that he was crying. Castiel bowed his head and prayed to a Father he was no longer sure he believed in. And as he prayed for Dean, for Heaven, and for the innocent humans on Earth, he tasted the bitter salt of his tears.


End file.
